In addition to the ‘Halo’ driver safety cage, Formula One cars will have another new design element for the 2018 season; a golf ball-sized 360-degree camera.
It would seem F1’s new owners are interested in delivering a better fan experience, which is a fresh change from those who owned the sport prior. Additionally, the camera will allow for better perspectives to review when steward interaction is required.
“There is a 360-degree camera being added to next year’s car on top of the chassis, which will give a different perspective of things,” said Force India technical director Andrew Green. Working with F1 technology partner Tata, they’re currently running tests on two different 360-live video cameras. The goal is to see if the data transfer can handle live 360-degree video. The hope is that these video inserts can be popped into the race broadcast in real-time.
In the recent past, there has been a rush to introduce live 360-degree video in live action sports. Typically, this has been a challenge because the file size is quite large, and transferring from a car moving at 322km per hour has its own challenges. I, for one, certainly hope F1 can make it happen. It would be quite fun to get an all-around view of what it’s like in amongst the action.
Hat tip to Motorsport!